Here is an example of a part of my code:
CODE
<table style="width:757; border-style:solid; border-width:thin; margin:0 0 15px 0">
<tr><td class="spb-category" width="750" style="text-align:left;" colspan="3">Title of this category</td></tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="33%">
<table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
<tr><td width="100%" onmouseover="this.style.background='#ddddff';" onmouseout="this.style.background='#ffffff';"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td class="spb-book"><a href="product_info.php?products_id=103">large size book title with author</a></td></tr><tr><td class="spb-author">Author</td></tr></table></td></tr>
<tr><td width="100%" onmouseover="this.style.background='#ddddff';" onmouseout="this.style.background='#ffffff';"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td class="spb-book"><a href="product_info.php?products_id=187">small sized book</a></td></tr><tr><td class="spb-author">Author</td></tr></table></td></tr>
<tr><td width="100%" onmouseover="this.style.background='#ddddff';" onmouseout="this.style.background='#ffffff';"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td class="spb-book"><a href="product_info.php?products_id=197">small sized book</a></td></tr><tr><td class="spb-author">Author</td></tr></table></td></tr>
</table> </td>
<td valign="top" width="33%">
<table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
<tr><td width="100%" onmouseover="this.style.background='#ddddff';" onmouseout="this.style.background='#ffffff';"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td class="spb-book"><a href="product_info.php?products_id=101">small sized book</a></td></tr><tr><td class="spb-author">Author</td></tr></table></td></tr>
<tr><td width="100%" onmouseover="this.style.background='#ddddff';" onmouseout="this.style.background='#ffffff';"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td class="spb-book"><a href="product_info.php?products_id=188">small sized book</a></td></tr><tr><td class="spb-author">Author</td></tr></table></td></tr>
<tr><td width="100%" onmouseover="this.style.background='#ddddff';" onmouseout="this.style.background='#ffffff';"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td class="spb-book"><a href="product_info.php?products_id=120">Medium sized boot title</a></td></tr><tr><td class="spb-author">Author</td></tr></table></td></tr>
</table> </td>
<td valign="top" width="33%">
<table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
<tr><td width="100%" onmouseover="this.style.background='#ddddff';" onmouseout="this.style.background='#ffffff';"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td class="spb-book"><a href="product_info.php?products_id=102">a very long title of a book which includes the author</a></td></tr><tr><td class="spb-author">Author</td></tr></table></td></tr>
</table>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<tr><td class="spb-category" width="750" style="text-align:left;" colspan="3">Title of this category</td></tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="33%">
<table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
<tr><td width="100%" onmouseover="this.style.background='#ddddff';" onmouseout="this.style.background='#ffffff';"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td class="spb-book"><a href="product_info.php?products_id=103">large size book title with author</a></td></tr><tr><td class="spb-author">Author</td></tr></table></td></tr>
<tr><td width="100%" onmouseover="this.style.background='#ddddff';" onmouseout="this.style.background='#ffffff';"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td class="spb-book"><a href="product_info.php?products_id=187">small sized book</a></td></tr><tr><td class="spb-author">Author</td></tr></table></td></tr>
<tr><td width="100%" onmouseover="this.style.background='#ddddff';" onmouseout="this.style.background='#ffffff';"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td class="spb-book"><a href="product_info.php?products_id=197">small sized book</a></td></tr><tr><td class="spb-author">Author</td></tr></table></td></tr>
</table> </td>
<td valign="top" width="33%">
<table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
<tr><td width="100%" onmouseover="this.style.background='#ddddff';" onmouseout="this.style.background='#ffffff';"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td class="spb-book"><a href="product_info.php?products_id=101">small sized book</a></td></tr><tr><td class="spb-author">Author</td></tr></table></td></tr>
<tr><td width="100%" onmouseover="this.style.background='#ddddff';" onmouseout="this.style.background='#ffffff';"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td class="spb-book"><a href="product_info.php?products_id=188">small sized book</a></td></tr><tr><td class="spb-author">Author</td></tr></table></td></tr>
<tr><td width="100%" onmouseover="this.style.background='#ddddff';" onmouseout="this.style.background='#ffffff';"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td class="spb-book"><a href="product_info.php?products_id=120">Medium sized boot title</a></td></tr><tr><td class="spb-author">Author</td></tr></table></td></tr>
</table> </td>
<td valign="top" width="33%">
<table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
<tr><td width="100%" onmouseover="this.style.background='#ddddff';" onmouseout="this.style.background='#ffffff';"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td class="spb-book"><a href="product_info.php?products_id=102">a very long title of a book which includes the author</a></td></tr><tr><td class="spb-author">Author</td></tr></table></td></tr>
</table>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
1. I want to center each column so that the first letter of each book title is lined-up, but that the longest title on each column has equal space on both left and right.
2. If you look at each column, the width is about 245px. With regard to the first book title in the first column, I have 50px that is extra, therefore I'd like to automatically add 25px to the front of each one of the books for that column.
3. On the second column, there is about 80px extra, therefore I'd like to auto-add 40px to the front of each book in that column.
My problem is that I don't want the column centered individually because then I will lose the straight line that I'd like each book to be on top of each other as it starts the line.
I tried:
style="margin-left:20px"
and
style="padding-left:20px"
but when the title got too long it would not auto-collapse the left side, I want it to collapse!
I want one tag that I can insert evenly on every section to get the push to the right an even amount of spaces for every book on each column.
If it comes down to it, I wouldn't mind sacrificing that each column gets auto aligned to what is necessary for its own column. So if I have to use one number, say 30px, for the whole webpage, then ok, I'd do it.
My problem is that sometimes the 30px empty filler space for the left, in order to push the title to the right, is not enough space for a very long title and it winds up sending half the title to the next line, which I don't want.
This code is a list of books that spans about 20 categories and about 400 book titles.
Thanks in advance for any help you might offer.